Always popular and welcome visitors to the regatta, the Beer contingent is likely to number around 40 people for the weekend.

George. himself, will be skippering a 22-ft Tosher named after her builder, Percy Mitchell, and, no doubt, will be as keen as ever to lead his rivals over the finishing line.

Sam Bouquet of Exeter is among other Devonians hoping to bring their Cornish-built 20-ft Toshers to the regatta.

In addition, Robbie Driver, of the Puffin, has a new Beer Lugger and students on the Lyme Regis International School of Boatbuilding have launched Eleanor in 2003, based on a 100-year-old Beer Lugger design.

Said school director Tim Gedge: ‘The last Beer Lugger in Lyme is believed to have broken up in the 1940s.’

MARET

R 519

Maret, a 41-ft trawler owned by Lionel Bowdler and now operated by his son, Brian Bowdler and Des Tucker, is once again the Regatta Committee boat.

Originally built in Germany in 1963, she formerly worked out of Pelworm until coming to England in the mid-1970s.

Barry Gowing fished her out of Looe until he sold her on to the Bowdlers in the late 1970s.